Senior US senator 'very pleased' by Türkiye's decision to back Sweden's NATO admission

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - A senior US senator on Tuesday voiced appreciation for Türkiye after its decision to back Sweden's admission to the NATO alliance.

"Very pleased Turkey has removed their objections to Sweden’s admission into NATO. This makes the alliance stronger and is a great message to send to the world. I appreciate Turkey’s contribution in NATO," said Lindsay Graham, a Republican, on Twitter.

He called the alliance more "valuable than ever," saying that it is standing up to Russia's war on Ukraine.

"One of the greatest blunders in modern world history was Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. His efforts to destroy NATO have backfired big time," wrote Graham.

“NATO is going to be bigger and stronger, Putin’s economy is going to be smaller and weaker. The Russian military has had havoc wreaked upon it by the brave Ukrainian defense forces.”

On Monday, Türkiye decided to refer Sweden’s NATO Accession Protocol to the Turkish parliament for ratification, as announced after a tripartite meeting between Türkiye, Sweden, and the chief of NATO on the sidelines of an alliance summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.